INDIAN HEAD, Md. — The family of a high school football player in Charles County says they are blowing the whistle on alleged hazing and abuse after they say he was beaten by a fellow player at the school Friday.
Authorities report they are investigating after a call to 9-1-1 made by the player’s mother from Henry Lackey High School near Indianhead.
An ambulance responded to the school, but the student was not taken to a hospital and released to his mother.
The family provided a photo of 14-year old Zayden Flemmings taken after an alleged attack showing him with an eye swollen completely shut. Flemmings's mother said he was bleeding from the mouth and nose and complained of vision problems and headaches after the fight.
Flemmings's family believes the attack was directed by an older player and carried out by a teammate out of view of coaches in a wrestling room at the school.
They say the incident was the violent capstone of months of bullying and harassment which has included Flemmings being taunted for his weight and having his pants pulled off by other players in public settings.
Grandmother Marlene Flemmings-McCann held back tears as she spoke about the allegations.
“He was in there with his eye busted and blood running down his face. He just went in there to talk to the coach. Where was the coach,” questioned Flemmings-McCann through tears.
"He trusted that team. He trusted everyone. He trusted those coaches to protect him and they did nothing for him!"
Mother Shokitha Flemmings called the Sherriff’s department and an ambulance Friday after the attack.
"This is hazing. This is hazing by the team," Flemmings said.
Flemmings said her son, who is 14 and the youngest player on varsity, had been confronted by an older player earlier Friday resulting in a fight.
Flemmings explained Zayden left the building for lunch with her and went back in the school with instructions from his mom to talk to coaches about the harassment. But he never made it, according to his mother.
She says her son was ambushed by another player at the direction of the player in the first confrontation.
Flemmings was taken into the school’s wrestling room and beaten by one player while others gathered around and took pictures, the mother said.
No coaches were present for the fight, according to Flemmings.
She said the team was unsupervised by adults and that she called coaches repeatedly before the second fight in an attempt to alert them, but did not hear back until after the beating had occurred.
The family asks why coaches didn’t call an ambulance or police but instead released Zayden to his mom, who did call authorities.
The Charles County Sheriffs department confirmed a 9-1-1 call was received and that an investigation spearheaded by the school resource officer is underway.
In a written statement, school authorities also confirmed they are investigating two fights that occurred on school grounds Friday.
"Friday was a two-hour early dismissal for students, and the fights took place after school hours," according to a statement from Charles County Schools spokesperson Shelley Mackey.
"Both incidents involved two students, and one student was involved in both incidents."
Mackey noted that administrators have not received any reports about hazing, bullying or harassment occurring with the Lackey football team.
Mackey said neither the coaches nor Lackey's principal would respond to WUSA9's attempts to contact them because the matter is being handled by the school system's central office.
Zayden Flemmings missed school Monday because of his injuries and because he does not feel safe, his mother said.
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